The Catholic Church says it is seeing one of the largest surges in attendance in its history both in Connecticut and around the world.

Bishop Frank Caggiano with the Diocese of Bridgeport says since 2022 Mass attendance at churches across the diocese is up 22 percent.

Caggiano attributes it to the uncertain times that we are living in, and that people are looking for some meaning in their lives.

The Catholic Church as a whole says that a shift in the church becoming more welcoming and actively connecting with people in the community are factors in people returning.

More families are coming back.

Worldwide the Catholic population increased by 1.15 percent between 2022 and 2023, rising from approximately 1.39 billion to 1.4 billion.

Bishop Caggiano says the surge has been building since COVID.

"I think history will show that we are in the beginning of a spiritual re-awakening in our country and not just in the Catholic Church, but I think in religion in general young people, young adults are returning to the faith. Whatever their respect to faith, but I think amongst ourselves, Catholics, they're coming in disproportionally larger numbers than any other demographic, which kind of defies what the common logic would be," said Bishop Caggiano.

The Bishop says the Bridgeport Diocese is 73 years old and is now expected to have the highest number of seminarians studying for the priesthood in its history.